Madison City Council Sucks Up to Wilco

Band considered for honorary citizen status.

According to a Cap Times report, a Madison, Wisconsin city council member has drawn up a resolution to make the members of Wilco honorary citizens of the city. Which is weird and cool (in a corny, city-council-trying-to-be-cool way, at least). The impetus of the resolution involves some vicious cross-city warfare with Duluth, Minnesota, about who likes Wilco more.

The Cap Times reports that during a recent gig at Madison's Overture Center, Jeff Tweedy joked, "Last night, the mayor of Duluth made us an honorary Duluth band. And we've only played there twice. How many times have we played Madison? A lot. No key to the city, no certificate, nothing." And there's nothing more embarrassing than getting shown up by the mayor of Duluth (I guess).

So Madison Alder Satya Rhodes-Conway wrote the Wilco honorary-citizen proposition, citing their live "excellence" and how city newspaper The Isthmus called the band "America's shiniest rock object." She goes on: "Duluth, MN may be cool, but we would not want it said that either that fine city or its mayor are cooler than Madison and our mayor (even if Mayor Dave [Cieslewicz] is not sure who Jeff Tweedy is)." Shit is real right now. Check out the entire resolution at The Cap Times.

The city council will likely come to a verdict on Wilco's honorary status at a March 2 meeting, according to The Cap Times.